Did Blair ban beards?
Zoe Williams notes in a Guardian interview with Neal Lawson (24th July)
It was always rumoured that he banned beards from the shadow cabinet, for looking too leftwing. And sure, I haven’t forgotten that he did actually win.
Blair was not always successful despite winning three elections and it might be noted that the David Blunkett, Robin Cook and Frank Dobson did end up serving in an actual Blair Cabinet.
However when Frank Dobson stood against Ken Livingstone for the London Mayoral election in 2000 there were indeed rumours that New Labour had trialled pictures of a clean shaven Dobbo with electors to see if that would increase votes.
Whether this was really true or a piece of Mandelsonian spin (who shaved off his then trademark moustache) remains unclear.
However a subsequent Labour by-election candidate with a beard did tell me that the same process had been tried with him. He kept the beard but didn’t win the election.
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